Bylsma Paces Team Through Longest Practice Of Year As Pens Get Ready To Face Thrashers

In an Olympic season -- like this year -- more games are compressed into less time.

Certainly, more games in less time means more days off to rest and recuperate.

And more days off to rest and recuperate leads to less practices.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma had none of that yesterday, when he paced his team through 90 minutes on the ice, just a day after playing back-to-back games in Florida and flying up the east coast to return home.

As if that didn't convey enough urgency, Pens' owner Mario Lemieux watched the entire practice, sending a message that his players need to be on their "p's" and "q's" as they look to break a slide that has seen them drop 6 of their last 7 games.

Into Mellon Arena tonight comes an Atlanta Thrashers team that is quite dangerous with the likes of forwards Ilya Kovalchuk, Maxim Afinogenov, Niklas Antropov, Rich Peverly and defenseman Tobias Enstrom, but -- somehow -- the Thrashers are struggling more that Pittsburgh.

Atlanta is winless in 8 games and finishes a 7-game road trip against The Boys of Winter tonight.

The Pens' have played the Thrashers once already this year, in Atlanta, winning by the score of 3-2 on the strength of 2 goals from defenseman Martin Skoula. But that was back when the Penguins' defense was actually contributing goals.

Not a single member of their defense has tallied a goal since November 28.

It's doubtful that Sergei Gonchar will be able to break that streak of futility tonight.

Gonchar did not practice yesterday while still recovering from a bruised foot he sustained after blocking a shot at the end of the Pens' loss to the New Jersey Devils last Wednesday and, while HCDB hasn't ruled him out of tonight's game, it would be a surprise if he played.

Another guy likely to be missing tonight is assistant coach Mike Yeo, who as of yesterday was still in a Florida hospital after suffering some chest pains at the conclusion of Pittsburgh's 3-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday afternoon.

Yeo was treated medically immediately after the game -- a stretcher was even brought in to the coaches' room at the St. Pete Times Forum (but not used) -- and seemed to be stable, but began to experience similar symptoms Sunday morning and was taken to the hospital.

Blysma stated after the loss to the Panthers that Yeo had several tests, but that all were normal. He said he hoped Yeo would be released to fly home Monday morning.

Obviously, that has not proven to be the case.

Pens' goaltending coach Gilles Meloche stepped behind the bench in Yeo's place on Sunday and will be there again tonight if Yeo isn't available.

Let's hope the Penguins were able to develop some good habits in that long practice yesterday.

I suppose we'll see tonight.

Recap tomorrow.

Let's Go Pens!